There have been several different web service technologies from Microsoft over the years. This can lead to confusion about where to ask web service questions. Many people choose this forum for such questions because it has "Web Services" in its title.

However, this is the forum for questions on the old "ASMX" web service technology, including the WSE technology (now obsolete). Microsoft now considers this to be a "legacy technology". All new development of web service clients or services should use WCF (Windows Communication Foundation).

The WCF Forum is the place to get quick answers to any WCF questions. This forum remains the place to ask questions about the legacy ASMX technology, the XML Serialization technology upon which it is based, and on the obsolete WSE technology.

While reading a reply to your question, you will notice a button with an icon that says "Mark as Answer." Please select this button when a reply answers your question.

There are several reasons to do this:

Our search engine weights Answered questions more highly. By marking Answers you increase the chances that others searching this forum will find the answer directly rather than re-posting the question.

You give credit to the hard working folks who answer your questions. This is peer to peer support, so recognition is our only reward. (Check out the Top Answerers on the right side of the page to see who is currently answering questions.)

You help Microsoft to track the health of this forum. Our forum gets 'measured' based on how many unanswered questions are in it at any time and we work hard to keep those numbers to as low a level as possible. By marking answers, others get a more accurate understanding of how well (or badly) things are going on the forum.

Additionally, there is a new feature in these Forums. If you post a reply to the Forum, and you think you have answered the question, you can mark the "Propose as Answer" button. This will give the original poster an idea that you think you have answered the question. This does not mark the question as answered.

There have been several different web service technologies from Microsoft over the years. This can lead to confusion about where to ask web service questions. Many people choose this forum for such questions because it has "Web Services" in its title.

However, this is the forum for questions on the old "ASMX" web service technology, including the WSE technology (now obsolete). Microsoft now considers this to be a "legacy technology". All new development of web service clients or services should use WCF (Windows Communication Foundation).

The WCF Forum is the place to get quick answers to any WCF questions. This forum remains the place to ask questions about the legacy ASMX technology, the XML Serialization technology upon which it is based, and on the obsolete WSE technology.

While reading a reply to your question, you will notice a button with an icon that says "Mark as Answer." Please select this button when a reply answers your question.

There are several reasons to do this:

Our search engine weights Answered questions more highly. By marking Answers you increase the chances that others searching this forum will find the answer directly rather than re-posting the question.

You give credit to the hard working folks who answer your questions. This is peer to peer support, so recognition is our only reward. (Check out the Top Answerers on the right side of the page to see who is currently answering questions.)

You help Microsoft to track the health of this forum. Our forum gets 'measured' based on how many unanswered questions are in it at any time and we work hard to keep those numbers to as low a level as possible. By marking answers, others get a more accurate understanding of how well (or badly) things are going on the forum.

Additionally, there is a new feature in these Forums. If you post a reply to the Forum, and you think you have answered the question, you can mark the "Propose as Answer" button. This will give the original poster an idea that you think you have answered the question. This does not mark the question as answered.